


It’s not what I asked for

by insanity_times_ten



Series: Everything Changes [1]
Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Gen, Pregnancy, most of them swear like sailors, pregnant!jane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24603673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insanity_times_ten/pseuds/insanity_times_ten
Summary: When Jane unexpectedly gets pregnant, her friends are there for her every step of the way.
Relationships: Anne Boleyn/Catherine of Aragon, Katherine Howard/Catherine Parr
Series: Everything Changes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1902013
Comments: 29
Kudos: 77





	1. Chapter 1

“Well, fuck, Jane. What’re you gonna do?” my roommate, Cathy, says. She’s the one that made me take the pregnancy test after I missed my period. And the one before that. And the fact that I’ve been missing classes at least once a week because I was too busy puking my guts up to go anywhere may have factored into the mix.   
“God, I don’t know. I think I want to keep it, but at the same time, I’m just not ready.”  
“Let’s think. If you keep the baby, you’ve got five great friends to help you take care of them. The school’s got free childcare for students with kids. And haven’t you always wanted a family?”  
“Well, yes, but having a baby as a 20-year-old with no money is less than ideal. Can we get the others in here? I’d like their help.”  
“Of course, let me text them right now.” Cathy is great. She’s always willing to help anyone with anything. She’s studying to be a writer, and I tease her that her first bestseller will be a self-help book. There is a knock on the door, followed by the sound of the knob turning.  
“We’re all here, Jane!” Kat announces as she bustles into the room, finding a spot on the floor to sit.  
“And we brought food!” Anne yells, throwing a bag onto my bed and sitting at the desk chair. Of course she brought snacks. Anne’s girlfriend, Catherine, sits next to me on my bed.   
“What’s wrong, mija? Cathy said it was urgent.” Catherine has Spanish heritage, so it’s not uncommon for her speech to be peppered with Spanish words.   
“Well, let me just show you.” I turn the pregnancy test, which has been sitting on my lap, around so everyone can see it.   
“Holy shit. I’ve gotta be going insane, I thought I saw two lines,” Anne says in total disbelief.  
“Believe your eyes. It’s got two lines, which means-”  
“You’re pregnant! I’m so happy for you!” Kat jumps up to hug me around the neck.   
“Have you told anyone else yet? Your parents, your boyfriend, your doctor? You’re gonna want to call your doctor, ASAP.”  
“God, Catherine, give the woman a break! She’s known for, what now, 15 minutes? She doesn’t even know if she wants to keep the baby!” Cathy jumps to my defense. Kat’s face drops.  
“Jane, you’ve gotta keep it. We can all pick up jobs, I know I’ll do whatever I can to help.”  
“Thanks, Kat, that means a lot.” Slowly, everyone chimes in, offering to help any way they can. “Seriously, thank you guys. You have no idea how much this means. I’m gonna call my doctor now, be quiet.” Kat cheers quietly from her spot on the floor. I schedule an appointment for myself for next Wednesday.   
When I hang up the phone, Anne asks “So, are you gonna call your parents next?”  
“I don’t think my parents’ll take the news well… I should probably wait till I’m home over the holidays. And as for Henry… he’s been sleeping around lately, thinks I don’t notice. I plan to get rid of him whenever I can.”  
“Good for you. And yeah, it’s probably best to tell your parents over break,” Cathy says.   
Anna finally decides to add to the conversation. “Sleeping around, you say? His ass is as good as gone.”   
Kat comes to sit by me on my bed. “I’m glad you’re keeping the baby, Jane.”  
“Me too, Kat. I don’t know how I’m gonna do it, though.”  
“We’ll figure it out. All six of us. Together.”  
“God, I hope so.”


	2. Chapter 2

Today is the day of my first doctor’s appointment since I found out, and all of the girls have decided that they need to come with me. I still haven’t started to show, at least I don’t think I’m showing yet. That’s good, considering that the holidays are coming up fast and it will be easier to tell my family when they can’t see for themselves. I’m just praying that this baby doesn’t decide to grow too much within the next two weeks.  
At the doctor's office, I am pleasantly surprised at how short a wait I have. All six of us are whisked back to a tiny exam room almost immediately. The doctor is quick to come into the room as well. I can almost swear I catch Anne, who is quite notably a gay disaster, checking out the doctor. Catherine notices as well and gives her a light swat on the arm while whispering something in her ear.   
“So, Ms. Seymour, is it? How long have you known that you’re pregnant?” the doctor finally asks after watching Anne and Catherine interact for a while.  
“Four days, I think. Cathy?”  
“Hm? Oh, yeah, four days,” she says, looking up from her phone, then right back down.  
“Wow, you really didn’t waste any time making an appointment. How long have you been showing symptoms?”  
“I’ve missed two periods, and I’ve been sick almost every day for, oh, probably a month and a half now? And at least once a week I’m so sick I can’t go anywhere.”  
“That’s quite a while! I’m gonna take some blood and do an ultrasound real quick, then you can be on your way.” She sticks to her word. The blood draw is very quick, and the ultrasound doesn’t take too long. “Well, Ms. Seymour, it seems that you have a very healthy baby on the way. I’m thinking you’re about eight weeks along, which would put your due date around July 20. Do you have any questions?”  
“When can I expect to start showing?”  
“Well, let me think… this is your first pregnancy, correct?” I nod. “Anywhere between four to eight weeks from now, I would bank on 6 weeks till your bump is noticeable.” She gives me a prescription for prenatal vitamins and says she’ll see me back after New Years.  
Back at the dorms, I head to Anne’s room, which she shares with Kat.   
“Hey,” I say. “I saw you checking out my doctor. Care to tell me anything?”   
“You know I’m a lesbian, there’s nothing to tell.”  
Kat walks in from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, obviously having just showered. “Who are we telling what now?”  
Anne sighs. “Jane’s doctor is one fine woman. There. I said it. Happy?”  
“Everything all good with Catherine?” I ask.  
“Yeah, am I not allowed to think other girls are pretty?”  
“You’re fully allowed to. I was just checking.”  
“Why, you interested?” Anne says with a wink.  
“Oh, shut up!” I hit her with a pillow.   
There is a knock on the door. “Mind if I join the party?” Cathy’s voice asks from the other side.  
“Don’t open that door! I’m not dressed!” Kat yells loud enough for the whole floor to hear. “Give me five minutes.” She throws on a pink sweatshirt and a pair of leggings, then runs to the door. She steps outside for a few seconds, and soon she and Cathy both come in wearing sheepish grins.   
“Hey Anne, got any snacks?” Cathy, like Anne, is always hungry.  
“Hell yes. I’ve got food and drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.”  
“Pretzels… and orange juice?”  
“You got it.” She throws the bag of pretzels across the room, nearly hitting me in the head, and grabs a small bottle of juice. This she thankfully does not throw. “Anyone else want anything?” Kat and I both shake our heads no. Anne gets herself a can of soda out of the fridge, also grabbing a bottle of water. She hands the water to me, saying “I worry about you sometimes.”  
I take the bottle. “You? Worry about me? Since when?” She laughs.  
“Wow, I’m surprised you’re not putting anything in that Coke,” Cathy says.   
“Hey, it’s only 2 in the afternoon. I’ve got wine coolers if you wanna kick back, though.”  
“I’m trying to cut down on my alcohol intake, actually. Thanks for the offer.” Anne feigns a heart attack. “Oh, come on. If I’m gonna stop sleeping to write, I can’t be getting blackout drunk.”  
“Cathy, hon, you really need to sleep as well. You can’t run on caffeine. In fact, I’m going to limit you to only one all-nighter a week,” I instruct.  
“But-”  
“No buts. Jane’s right. And no calling one hour of sleep ‘not an all-nighter,’” Kat adds.   
“Ugh, fine. You guys win.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Be sure to put your thoughts in the comments!


	3. Chapter 3

Oh god. I’m going home for Christmas today. My parents are not going to be happy about this. I’m still not showing, which is good. According to what the doctor said when I went right after I found out, I still have about a month till there’s a noticeable bump.   
Cathy is helping me pack a bag to take to my parents’ house. As my roommate, she has declared herself my official pregnancy coach, and she is insistent on helping me with everything. Usually, that’s a bit unwelcome, but today I’m so preoccupied that I hardly care.  
“Jane. Are you ok?” Cathy asks at some point.  
“Yeah, I’m fine.”  
“You don’t seem fine. Do you need to lie down? Do you want me to get you anything?”  
“Cathy, relax. I guess I’m just worried about telling my parents.”  
“Yeah, I get you. My parents went berserk when I told them I was dropping out of the medical program to study writing. Are you sure you don’t need anything?”  
“Completely. And you never told me you were going to be a doctor!”  
“My parents would only pay for me to go to school if I was gonna study law or medicine. Then I entered my writing in that contest and won a scholarship, so I told my dad that I didn't need his funding anymore.” An alarm goes off on her phone. “Shit, my shift starts in 15 minutes. Don’t wear yourself out. I’ll be back to take you to the station.” Everyone had stayed true to their word and gotten a job, even Anna, who probably has the worst work ethic out of the six of us. Cathy is working at a cafe on campus, and her shifts are usually pretty early in the morning, but today she is working a different time. I commit myself to finishing packing up and then I take a nap.  
Cathy is there when I wake up, as is Kat. “Relax, we don’t need to leave for another 45 minutes. You have time to change or shower or whatever,” Cathy assures me. I heed her instructions and grab a clean outfit from my dresser. I decide a quick shower can’t hurt and head to the bathroom.  
At the station, Kat and Cathy wait for my train with me. When my train arrives at the platform, they wrap me up in a hug.   
“You’ve got this!” Kitty cheers quietly. I flash her a smile and head to board the train.  
The ride is somewhat of a quick one, and I don’t fall asleep, unsurprisingly. I have a problem being able to sleep on trains and planes, it’s just too noisy I guess. When I step off the train, my parents are standing on the platform waving me over.  
“Mom! Dad!” I yell, running over to them. My mom’s arms are outstretched for a hug, and I oblige. It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve been able to smell the comforting scent of her perfume mixed slightly with the aroma of freshly-baked cookies.  
“Hey, kid, how’s college life treating you?” Dad asks.   
“Not terrible. Did I tell you that I’m taking a sign language class this year?”  
“I don’t think you did, that sounds very interesting.”  
“It’s pretty fun. Are Thomas and Ed coming home this year?” My brothers haven’t been home for a few years.  
“Eddie is, Tom is actually off doing charity work in Africa over the holidays. Now, let’s get you home. You’ve had a long day, I’m sure,” Mom says. They take me to their car and drive to my childhood home. The big house in the country is still one of my favorite places to be. I walk through the door and am immediately greeted by two little gremlins latching onto my legs. A tired-looking Ed is not far behind them.  
“Hey, Jane,” my brother yawns. “I see you’ve met Marisol and James.”  
“Yes, it does seem that way. How old are they?”  
“They’ll be three in February. I’ve missed you.”  
“You could have come to see me anytime. I’m practically right around the corner from you.” Ed lives in the same town that my university is located in.  
“I guess I never found the time, what with these two crazies around,” he says, gesturing toward the twins, who have since released their grip on my legs.  
“Seems like they’ve got you pretty tired,” I observe, and Ed nods.   
“Dinner will be here in 10 minutes,” Mom pokes her head into the room. My parents have stuck firmly to their traditions, meaning Chinese food for dinner the night before Christmas Eve and going to church on Christmas Eve. Nobody knows why the Chinese food tradition started, but it is loved by the whole family, so we’ve kept it over the years.   
At dinner, we make small talk, chatting about college, the twins, and any number of other things. That is, until a lull in conversation causes me to speak up.  
“I have an announcement to make!” I say cheerfully. This earns me a couple glances before my father nods in my direction.  
“What is it, Jane?”  
I take a deep breath, not quite sure how to continue, whether or not to sugarcoat it. “I’m pregnant,” I finally say. Ed nearly spits out his water. My mother shoots out of her chair and rushes to my side.  
“How far along are you? When did you find out? When are you due? How is your morning sickness? Are you feeling ok? Do you need to lie down?”  
“Mom, I’m fine. I’m at ten weeks, I found out a little less than 3 weeks ago, due July 20. Morning sickness isn’t the worst. I’m only missing class once a week.”  
“Who’s the father?” is all Dad wants to know.  
I laugh nervously. “Well, you know Henry, that guy I was dating at the beginning of the semester? He’s the father.”  
“Henry seemed like a nice guy. Have you told him yet?”  
“That’s the thing- I haven’t told him. I found out that he’d been cheating on me, so I ended things with him.”  
Dad hesitates. “You did the right thing. He had no right to go behind your back like that.”  
“Wait, so you’re not mad that I’m pregnant?”  
“Not in the slightest. You’re going to make a great mother.” Mom gives me a hug from behind when Dad says this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

“Bye, everyone!” My break from school is not quite over, but I’m heading back a few days early so I have time with my friends.   
“Need anything before you leave? I can fix a snack, or…” My mom is still constantly fawning over me.  
“Mom, I’m fine.”  
“Have a safe trip, ok? I’m sorry I couldn’t get anything for the baby, it was just such short notice…”  
“Mom, don’t worry about it. Your support means more than the world to me.”  
“Call when you get home. Don’t talk to strangers. Love you!”  
“Love you, bye!” Stepping into the Uber I called, I can finally breathe easier. My parents love me, and for that I’m glad, but sometimes it can feel like I’m being smothered with all the attention. Being the youngest child and only daughter doesn’t help my case.  
The train ride is uneventful, and the excitement doesn’t start until I get back to my dorm room, where all my friends are waiting.  
“So, how did it go?” Kat breaks the silence.  
“Surprisingly well. My parents still love me and they’re not mad I left you-know-who.”  
“That’s good!” Cathy has a huge smile on her face.  
“Uh, Cathy? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile this much. What’s up?”  
“Well, I was actually waiting for you to come back to tell everyone. Kat and I are dating!”  
“That’s fabulous news.” Right then, my phone lights up, the screen displaying my doctor’s name. “Hello, Jane Seymour speaking,” I say.  
“Hello there, Ms. Seymour. I’m calling because while I was going through charts, making sure everything was up to date, I saw something that I hadn’t noticed before on the ultrasound.” I brace myself for the worst, thinking that there’s a problem with my baby.  
“Ok, what was it? I mean, if you’re allowed to tell me over the phone.” Kat looks scared for me.   
“Well, Ms. Seymour, I saw what I’m pretty sure is a second embryo. In other words, you’re having twins!”  
“Wow. I mean, that’s great, I just wasn’t exactly prepared for good news. You sounded a little too serious.”  
“I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. Congratulations, and I’ll see you soon!” She hangs up the phone.  
“Is the baby okay? Are you okay?” Kat is visibly worried.  
“I’m fine, and so are the babies.”  
“Hold on one second,” Anne interjects. “I know I’m insane, but did you just say ‘babies’? As in more than one?”  
“Yes, she did, you dumbass,” Anna punches her in the arm.  
“Wait. That means-” Cathy begins.  
“-you’re having twins!” Catherine finishes for her. “Or triplets. Please tell me it’s not triplets.”   
“It’s just twins, Catherine, take a breath,” I assure her.  
“It’s just one bit of good news after another today!” Kat exclaims. “That was good news, right?” I nod. “Good,” she exhales.  
“Yep, it’s great news. I have two healthy babies on the way, five great friends, a supportive family…”  
“And a partridge in a pear tree!” Anne interrupts.  
“Anne Boleyn, I swear, if you make one more stupid remark, I will punch you in the face.”  
“And with that, let’s say goodnight to Anna!” Catherine turns to her roommate. “Let’s go.” They walk out the door, Catherine nearly having to drag Anna out by the ear.  
“Is she ok? She’s not usually like that,” I ask, worried about Anna.   
“She’s pretty angry right now, her parents were having a fight when she walked into her house,” Cathy informs me.  
“Oh no! Hopefully she’ll be back to her normal self soon, I don’t like seeing people mad.”  
“I’m sure she’ll bounce back. She’s just on edge,” Kat says, always a bright spot.  
“Anyway…” Anne says, obviously not comfortable with this topic, “how do you feel about having twins?”  
“I’m really happy. I definitely didn’t expect it, but it’s exciting.”  
Kat moves to sit next to me. “I’m excited too. They’re gonna be so cute!”  
“These dorms are no place to raise kids,” Cathy adds. “Where’re you going to live?”  
“Well, I’ve been eyeing a place not too far from here. I figured a while ago that living in an already-tiny dorm room with one baby wouldn’t be a good idea, now I have more reason to move to that apartment. It’s a nice place, two bedrooms, great kitchen, full bathroom. And rent isn’t too expensive. It’s within walking distance of campus, so I wouldn’t have to get a car.”  
“Wow, that sounds great. You should go for it,” Kat encourages.  
“I think I will, and then we can start buying furniture for the babies.” I make a mental note to call the landlord.  
“Speaking of buying furniture, well not really,” Anne begins, “are you gonna find out the genders or do you wanna be surprised?”  
“I’m definitely going to find out, since I’m having twins. I wasn’t going to when I thought it was just one baby, but it’ll be easier to know what to buy if I know. I’ve gotta wait another month till I can find out, though.”  
“You’re probably really nervous, aren’t you?” Cathy asks.  
“Not really. I definitely thought I would be, but since my parents are happy it’s really not that bad.”  
“That’s good.”  
“I was worried for you over break,” Kat confesses. “I was worried that your parents weren’t gonna like the news or that you were gonna lose the babies.”  
“Aw, Kat, I appreciate the concern. The first few months are definitely risky. Enough about me. How was the break for you guys?”  
“Well,” Cathy begins, “my parents decided to try not to be homophobic assholes.” She had come out as bisexual to her parents over the summer break and they were, to put it simply, not pleased.  
“That’s a step in the right direction!” Kat cheers. “My mom let me dye my hair.” She tosses her ponytail into the air to show off the pink.  
“Ooh, nice!” I whistle. “Love the color choice.”  
Kat blushes. “Thanks! How about you, Annie?”  
“You already asked me if I...oh, how was my break?” Anne could be a bit ditzy from time to time. “It was pretty uneventful. Dad almost burned the house down trying to cook dinner. Catherine came over at one point and I guess Grandma forgot we were dating, cause I think she bout had a heart attack when she saw us kissing.”  
Cathy gives her a look. “Why in the hell were you kissing Catherine in front of your grandma...actually, don’t answer that, I don’t want to know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I broke a trope, you can all fight me for it, but I did.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look! another update!

“One boy, one girl. That’s what I see, I’ll get the doctor in here so she can take a look,” the technician performing my ultrasound says. 

“Great, thank you so much.” I rest one hand on my belly, which has definitely expanded, although not by much, since my last appointment in January. When the doctor comes in, she validates the technician’s findings. 

“Congratulations, Ms. Seymour! You are free to go, unless you have any questions. And let us know when you pick out names!” the doctor exclaims. 

“I can’t think of any questions right now, thank you!” I drag all the others, who have again insisted that they come with me, to the front desk so I can schedule my next appointment. 

“Moving day is coming up soon,” Kat reminds me as soon as we get back to the dorms. 

“How could I forget? I’ve had boxes in my room for a month now.” It’s true. When I called the landlord of the apartment I’d been looking at, he told me I could come sign the lease papers anytime. So I did, and now I’m moving. I can’t say I’m not going to miss sharing a room with Cathy, but it’ll be nice to have a space of my own. I obviously won’t be doing any heavy lifting, what with being three and a half months pregnant and having overprotective friends. The apartment already has basic furniture, like a couch, a table and chairs, and a bed. 

“Anyway,” Catherine drawls, “have you thought about names yet?”

“Not a lot, but I was thinking maybe Edward for the boy?”

“Ooh, that’s a good one! And you could name your girl Bella!” Kat cheers. 

“Kat, honey, I refuse to name my children after book characters. Plus, I didn’t even like Twilight!” 

“Then why are you naming your son...oh, yeah. Your brother. I’m so stupid.” Kat buries her face in her hands. 

I rub her back a bit. “You’re not stupid, kiddo. You just forgot. It’s okay.”

“Yeah, once I texted Catherine that I lost my phone,” Anne adds. 

“Anne, _querida_ , I don’t think you’re helping poor Kat,” Catherine says. 

“No, no, I’m fine.” Kat brings her head up and smooths down her hair. 

“So, what would be some cute girl names?” I ask. I receive various ideas, but only one really sticks out to me.

“Josephine. Josie for short.”

I look up to see who said it: Anna. “Wow,” I say. “I really like that.” Anna gives a sort of half-smile. “Let’s see here. Edward...what about a middle name?”

“Toby!” someone shouts out. 

“I like that. Edward Toby Seymour and Josephine...Lucy! Josephine Lucy Seymour.” I feel a little flutter in my stomach. “I think they approve.”

~two weeks later~

“Alright Jane, this is the last box. Want us to help you unpack?” Cathy asks as she sets a box down on the floor. 

“Yes, please. If you guys could take care of putting the boxes where they’re supposed to be, I can put stuff on shelves and in cabinets.”

“Alright. If you need anything else, just come get someone.” So, we set to work unpacking. 

At one point, I feel a kick. I yell for Kat and she comes sprinting into my bedroom. 

“Are you okay? I can get you some water, a snack, anything.”

“Someone’s kicking in here. Wanna feel?” Kat nods excitedly, and I put her hands where I felt the first kick. They go still for a while. “Come on, now. Auntie Kat’s here, don’t be shy!” Just then, I feel a fairly sharp kick, still not incredibly strong, though.

“They must like me,” she observes. 

“They do. I think they can tell when you walk in a room, they kinda start fluttering around.”

“Aww, that’s cute. Anyway, I’d better get going, Cathy’ll have my head if I’m not helping.” I send her on her merry way and continue hanging up my clothes. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, we interrupt regularly scheduled programming to bring you Parrward: A Series of Conversations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, the POV is really weird in this, the best way I can describe it is “self-aware narrator.” Have fun.

“Cathy, you know I can’t keep a secret, especially not from Jane! And what about the others?”

“They won’t know either.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Because I love you, Kat, and I don’t want to hurt you. If my parents decide to be nice over break, then we can tell everyone. I know you, your self-esteem will hit the floor if we have to break things off a couple weeks after telling people about us.”

Kat sighs. “You’re right.”

“I know.” Cathy gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Now, Jane’s got news for everyone, I think you’ll be excited.”

That was the first of many exchanges shared in the hallway of a dorm building. The next occurred a couple weeks later outside Anne and Kat’s room.

“Give me five minutes!” Kat yells from inside her room. Cathy sighs. She was hoping Kat would come right to the door. Yet, here she is, waiting in the hall.

Kat comes rushing out the door. “What do you want?” she hisses. In lieu of a reply, Cathy pushes her up against a wall and kisses her.

“Holy crap, woman,” Kat says when Cathy pulls back. “Who taught you how to do that?”

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?” Cathy leans in for another kiss, but Kat pushes her away.

“Not today. Jane’s going to think I’ve been abducted.” Cathy begins to pout. “Don’t worry, I still love you.” She runs a hand through Cathy’s untamed hair. Cathy takes her by the hand and walks back into the room with her, dropping her hand and giving her a kiss on the forehead just before they reach the door. 

That was the last hallway interaction before the holiday break, although there was a fair amount of kissing (and perhaps it went a bit further, I lost interest rather quickly) between the two while Jane took a nap before visiting her parents in chapter 3. I’d rather not go into detail here, though. The following (and final) scene in this chapter happened an hour or so before Jane returned to her and Cathy’s shared room.

“Your parents are okay with this?”

“Oh, no. They’re far from okay, I’ve just decided to stop caring what they think.”

“You’re sure you want to go through with telling everyone?”

“Kat. Honey. Baby. We’ve been over this before. I love you, and I want everyone to know that.”

“I know, Cathy, I know. I love you too. But, I don’t want to force you into something you’re not ready to do.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be more ready for this. Besides,  _ je tiendrais la lune et les étoiles en place pour toi _ .”

“As sexy as it is when you speak French, I feel slightly insulted. Even though I have no idea what you just said.”

“I said, ‘I would hold the moon and stars in place for you.’”

“Hmm. Romantic. Makes me feel like…” Kat trails off as she runs her fingers through Cathy’s hair. She seems to enjoy playing with others’ hair.

“Like what, babe?”

Kat sighs. “I don’t know. One of those feelings you can’t quite describe.”

“A good one, though?”

“Of course it’s a good one. I always have good feelings when you’re around!”

“You’re cute.”

“I know.” Kat stands on her tiptoes to give Cathy a kiss on the lips. “For courage,” she whispers.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane’s attempt at teaching Anne to bake does not end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Jane’s POV!!!
> 
> ~trigger warnings~  
> -burns  
> -self-inflicted injury (i guess?)(it’s not self-harm tho)

I heave myself up off of the couch after hearing a knock on the door. When I open it, I am nothing short of surprised to see Anne standing outside my apartment. “Hey-“

Anne rolls through my door on her Heelys. “Listen, Jane, I know you’re probably supposed to be resting, but I need some help.”

“What is it? I don’t mind helping so long as I don’t have to hide a body.”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that,” she says. “Catherine’s birthday is coming up and I didn’t want her to have a store-bought cake.”

“Well, why didn’t you just say so? I’m more than happy to make her a cake!”

“No, Jane. I want to make the cake.”

“Ok, I guess I don't see why you need my help then…”

Anne sighs and throws her hands in the air, exasperated. “I don’t know how to bake.”

“Oh...I can help you if you want.”

“Please. I can’t burn another one.”

“You can’t burn- Anne, how many cakes have you tried to make?”

“Too many.”

“Ok, follow me. What kind of cake does Catherine like?”

“Chocolate, I’m pretty sure.”

I stand on a stool to reach my recipe box. “Aha! My grandma’s chocolate cake recipe. It’s better than any of the boxed crap you get at the store.”

“As long as it’s not too hard to make.”

“It’s easy. There is one very important rule though.”

“What is it?”

“No Heelys in the kitchen.” Anne mumbles something in what I assume to be French under her breath but takes off the cursed death shoes.

“Okay,” I say. “First we’re gonna find all the ingredients, list them off for me.”

“Alright. Flour-“

“What kind of flour?”

“There’s more than one kind?” I nod. “Uh, this says all-purpose.”

“Okay. What else?”

“Sugar- the regular kind, I guess. It doesn’t say anything other than sugar. Unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder…” She goes on reading the list of ingredients while I run about my kitchen finding the various items. 

“Alright,” I say. “Now let’s get cooking. First thing you’re gonna do is set a cup of water boiling on the stove- you do know how to do that, right?”

Anne rolls her eyes. “Of course I do, I’m not a  _ total  _ idiot.”

“Okay. Measure out all your dry ingredients and mix those together. That’s going to be all of these.” I point to a column of ingredients on the recipe card, then sit and watch as she carefully pours the different things into a bowl. This may be the slowest I’ve ever seen her move. Her tongue sticks out of the corner of her mouth a little bit as she works. 

“What next?” she asks, beaming like a five-year-old at Christmas.

“Now you’re gonna add in all your other ingredients…” Anne moves to take the small pot of water off of the stove. I nearly shoot out of my seat. “Not the water yet! Put everything else in before the water.”

“Okay, okay! Calm down, the stress’ll affect the twins!”

“Anne, honey, if just being around you hasn’t done anything to them yet, I think they’re pretty unshakeable.” Anne rolls her eyes and measures out the various liquids and mixes them in. 

“Now the water?” she asks, exasperated.

“Yes, but just a little bit at a time.” Anne goes to the stove, wraps a hand around the handle of the pot, and yelps in pain. 

I jump out of my chair. “Anne, are you okay?”

“Yeah, the pot was just hotter than I expected.” The skin on her hand is already turning an angry red. I run cool water in the sink and push Anne to stand in front of it. 

“Put your hand under the water. I’ll finish the cake.”

“But Jane-”

“Don’t ‘but Jane’ me. I know what’s good for you.”

Anne opens her mouth to say something but sighs in defeat and sticks her hand under the running water. I rush about the kitchen finishing the cake, still talking Anne through the steps. 

While the cake bakes, I finish treating Anne’s burn. “Well,” I say, “the good news is this looks like just a first degree burn.”

“Then what’s the bad news?”

“It’s still going to take around three weeks to heal. And it’s on your right hand.”

“So? I’m not right-handed.” 

“Wait, really?” Anne nods, and I go quiet as I wrap her hand in gauze. 

Anne taps her foot, fidgets with the fingers of her left hand, and scratches a bug bite on her leg before breaking the silence. “So, uh, how do I take care of my hand?”

“Change the dressing every day. Put burn cream on it. I can help with that. Whatever you do, don’t scratch it or put anything weird on it, not even lotion. Don’t ice it either,” I reply flatly. “And for goodness sake, use a potholder next time!”

“I will, I will!”

I hear my phone go off. “That’s the timer for the cake, I’ll go- JESUS CHRIST, ANNE!”

“What?” she asks, clearly oblivious.

“Your leg...there is BLOOD ROLLING, literally ROLLING, DOWN THE SIDE OF YOUR LEG! WHAT did you DO?”

“Oh, heh, I musta scratched the scab off of a bug bite.” She rubs the back of her neck. “Anyway, Jane, the cake?”

“The cake still has five minutes it can bake.” I hand her a paper towel and run to the medicine cabinet to get a bandage. “I swear, if I hadn’t made you take off those devil shoes, you would have a concussion by now.”

“Are you calling me a walking disaster?”

“Anne...yes. Yes I am. And I’m sorry to kick you out on your head, but I need to get the cake into the fridge so we can frost it tomorrow.”

“I can help-”

“No, no, I’ve got this. You go home and...don’t use your non-dominant hand, I guess.”

“Only if you promise to rest after you’re done.”

“I will, don’t worry about me. These two are beginning to tire me out, anyway,” I say, placing a hand on my rather large belly.

“Don’t get too tired, you’ve still got them for another three months. And then you won’t sleep for another six months, probably…”

“Okay, Anne, you really should be going! Bye!” I push her out the door before she can object (her wheeled weapons of mass destruction make the job easier) and wonder how my kitchen is ever going to recover from this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Jane loosely based upon myself in this chapter? Why yes, yes she is.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The one you’ve been waiting for!  
> (The one you’ve been waiting for)  
> Wait...this isn’t Anne Boleyn...this is Jane and her children!

I wake up from a nap to the feeling of some serious movement coming from inside my incredibly swollen stomach. “Hey,” I murmur, rubbing the top of my bump, “let Mommy get some rest, you guys kept her up all night.” The twins still for a bit, but when I lay back down, the kicking continues. I give up on the nap and walk around a little bit. That’s when I feel it- what starts as a dull cramp and escalates to an intense, almost stabbing pain. I gasp and sit down in the nearest chair. With shaky hands, I pull out my phone and dial Cathy’s number. No answer- she must be working. The next person on my list of people to call is Kat. I know she doesn’t like to drive, but I don’t quite trust Anne or Anna to get me to the hospital in one piece, and Catherine has a class right now, even though it’s Saturday. Thankfully Kat picks up. 

“Kat, I think I’m going into labor.”

“Jane...”

“I know you don’t like to drive, but Cathy wouldn’t pick up.”

I hear her sigh on the other end. “Okay. I’m on my way.”

I grab the bags I packed, one from my room and one from the nursery. 

Kat rushes into the apartment. “Come on. Cathy says she’ll be there as soon as her shift ends.”

“Thank you so much, Kat. You’re a blessing.” I wince as one of the babies gives a firm kick, probably because they heard Kat’s voice. “Yeah, yeah, Auntie Kat’s here, isn’t she?” I turn back to Kat. “They are positively insistent that I don’t sleep.”

“Well, if you’re in labor that’s probably a good thing.”

Once in Kat’s car, she asks me “Aren’t they six weeks early?”

“Yeah, but-“ I grit my teeth as another wave of pain washes over me. 

“Hey. Breathe,” Kat reminds me, just as I tell her when a panic attack hits. 

“I read that twins usually come early,” I say after the pain subsides. “I just hope this isn’t too early. How far away are we?”

“Ten minutes, give or take. You okay?”

“Yeah, the contractions just seem to be coming faster.”

“I’ll get you there as soon as I- oh, come ON! We have hit EVERY red light on this road.”

“Kat, really, it’s fine…”

“No, Jane, it’s not fine! You’re in labor and at this rate it’s going to be another fifteen minutes till I can get you to the hospital!”

“Kat. Look at me.” She shifts a little in her seat. “I’m going to be fine. I want you to breathe and focus on getting us to the hospital safely. Can you do that?” Kat nods. “Good. Now, pay attention to the road. The light’s gonna turn green any second.” I register that the car starts moving again before I black out. 

White. Lots of white. Movement, fast. And...Kat’s voice? My eyes snap shut again. I reach out to try and find a hand to hold. “Kat...bright,” I rasp. A cool hand touches my forehead.

“Jane, shh. Thank god you’re okay. You’re being taken into surgery right now. They’re gonna do an emergency C-section cause Josie’s heart rate dropped a bunch. That’s all they told me, I’m so sorry...”

“Okay...it’s okay...” The world fades to black again. 

The room I wake up in is dim, with softly colored accents instead of just harsh white. There is a dull throb coming from my abdomen. Kat is sitting by my bed, stroking my arm. 

“Oh, Jane, you’re awake!” Kat says. 

“Josie...Edward...my babies! Kat, where are they?”

“They’re in the nursery right now, your doctor said that in a few hours we could go see them if you were feeling up to it...it’s been a couple hours since then.”

“Okay. Josie...she’s alright, then?”

“Jane, they’re absolutely perfect. Beautiful babies, if I may say so. They’ve both got your eyes. The doctors are watching Josie a bit more closely than Edward, just to make sure her heart rate doesn’t drop again.”

“Good...where’s Cathy? She said she’d be here.”

“She stepped out for a bit, she was gonna go get me something to eat. I haven’t left your side.”

“Oh, thank you. You didn’t have to look after me.”

“Nonsense. I wasn’t about to leave you alone.”

Cathy steps into the room, holding a tray. “I didn’t know what you wanted, so I just got you a salad...oh, hey, Jane!”

“Hey yourself. How was work?”

She shrugs. “Same old, same old. You up for a little trip?”

“As long as I don’t have to walk.”

“Great. Kat, you coming?”

“Of course! Are you crazy?” She jumps up from her seat. “Come on, Jane, lets get you into this wheelchair.” She takes me by the arm, then helps me up and back down into the chair. 

“So, Cathy, where are we going?” I ask. 

“Well, first we’re gonna go down to the second floor, if that’s okay with you.”

“That’s fine. You are aware that the nursery is just down the hall, correct?”

“Yes, but there’s someone you gotta see first.”

On the second floor, Cathy stops in front of a door and knocks. To my surprise, Catherine opens the door.

“Catherine? What are you doing here?” I cock my head to one side. 

“Well, I would have been in your room after you had the twins, but someone-” she looks over at Anne, who is laying in the bed, “decided to go and rupture her appendix.”

“You act like I enjoyed puking my guts up,” Anne defends herself. 

“And you made fun when I couldn’t go to classes for the same reason,” I retort. 

“How’re the kids?” Catherine asks. 

“I haven’t seen them yet, but Kat says they’re perfect. Josie gave everyone quite the scare, I’m told that her heart rate dropped a lot.”

“ _¡Dios mío!_ She’s okay, though?”

Kat steps in. “They’re keeping a pretty close eye on her, but she’s doing fine now.”

“How about you, Jane? You okay?” Anne asks. 

“I feel like I should be tired, but I’m just a bit sore.”

“Sore like ‘down there’ sore?”

“No, no, I’m sore right in here,” I say, rubbing my belly a bit. “Emergency C-section.”

Anne nods. “Yeah, that’d probably do it for you.”

“We’re headed back up to the nursery. Care to join us?” Cathy asks.

“Sounds fun. Catherine, get my trusty steed, would you?”

Catherine bows. “Why, of course, your highness.” She turns to us. “That’s not the pain meds, she’s just crazy.”

“You say that like we didn’t already know,” Kat rolls her eyes. 

Back on the maternity floor. Cathy and Catherine roll me and Anne, respectively, to the little viewing window in front of the nursery. Right front and center I see two babies, one swaddled in a pink blanket, the other in blue. The name tags on the end of their cradles both read “Seymour.” My babies. Josie’s eyes are searching the nursery, while Edward is sound asleep. 

“You were right, Kat. They are perfect,” I say. 

Anne looks me in the eye. “Damn, girl! You make beautiful babies!” she says. 

“Now that,” Catherine says, “would be the medicine kicking in.”

I grab the attention of a nurse walking by. “Excuse me, sir, is there any way I could hold my babies?”

“Of course! Follow me.” He opens the door to the nursery and Cathy wheels me in. “Just the mother, please. I’ll have you wait out there.” Cathy sighs and turns around as soon as I’m in the door. From there, the nurse guides the wheelchair to the space in between the first two rows of cradles. “Which ones are yours?”

“Those two right in the center,” I say. 

“Alright, little girl coming your way first.” He picks up Josie and places her in my arms. “Cradle the head, there...wow, you’re a natural! You the oldest in your family?”

“Nope,” I say, “the youngest, but I had lots of dolls growing up.” He nods in understanding. 

“I’ll let you have some time with her, just let me know when you’re ready to switch or if you need anything.”

I turn my full attention to the little bundle of pink blanket in my arms. “Hey, hi, baby, Mommy’s here. I’ve been waiting to meet you. You gave everyone quite the scare earlier, you know that?” She smiles, and I look over my shoulder to see Kat making a silly face in the window. Josie sneezes. “Well, bless you!” I say. I catch someone holding a phone up to the window. “Let’s wave at Auntie Cathy, okay?” I hold one of her tiny wrists and wiggle her hand back and forth a bit. “Alright, Josie-bear, I’m gonna spend a little time with your brother, you get some sleep.” The nurse catches my hint and takes Josie back to her cradle and hands Edward to me.

“Oh, you’re gonna be a mommy’s boy, I can already tell,” I say when Edward snuggles himself up against my chest. I don’t want to wake him up, so I mostly hold him in silence, giving him little kisses to the top of his head on occasion.

“I see you’ve decided to make the trip down here,” a voice says from behind me. I spin around to see my doctor standing in the doorway to the nursery. “How do you feel?”

“I’m a little sore, but it’s not anything I can’t handle.”

“Ok! But, when the medicine wears off, the pain might get worse. Just let someone know if you need a higher dosage.”

“Thank you. Do you have any idea what was happening with Josie earlier?”

“Her heart rate had dropped quite a bit below where it should have been, and we noticed that you weren’t progressing very quickly. I wanted to get her out as soon as possible, so I gave you a pitocin drip to speed up your contractions, but it didn’t work. From there, emergency surgery seemed like the best option, both because of the issues with your daughter’s heartbeat and because you were drifting in and out of consciousness. Part of the team wasn’t entirely sure you were going to make it, but you pulled through.”

“That’s a lot more serious than Kat made it sound.”

“It was very scary for all of us. The strange thing was, your little boy was completely unaffected the whole time. With your permission, we’d like to do some genetic testing on her, just to be safe. She seems okay right now, but she also seemed fine through your entire pregnancy.”

“Any sort of tests you need to do are fine by me. I do have a quick question, though.”

“What’s that?”

“Could we maybe move them into my room? I want to spend as much time with them as I can.”

My doctor laughs a bit. “Yes, I was wondering if you would ask that. They can move in with you as soon as you’re feeling up to it.”

I feel my son begin to stir against me. “I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I think Edward is getting hungry anyway.” I stroke his cheek with the side of my thumb. “Hey, you’re okay. Mommy’s gonna take care of you as soon as we get to her room,” I coo.

“You can hold him all the way back to your room, if you’d like.” I nod. “Fabulous. Now, if you’ll take Princess over here…” she begins talking to the nurse, and I zone out for a bit.

Once back in my room, Cathy takes Edward so the doctor can help me into bed. I hear him let out a piercing cry, which stirs something inside me. I fumble to get the snaps on my hospital gown undone, and as soon as I do, Cathy rushes over and sets him on my chest. I move him around just a bit and finally relax when I feel him latch on.

“Alright, is there anything else you need before we go? Questions, concerns…”

“How long are you going to want us to stay?” I ask.

“Well, unless any complications develop, you’ll be able to go home in a couple of days, and your babies will come home in 2 to 6 weeks, depending on how well they’re doing.”

“Great, thank you. I’ll let someone know if I need anything else.” Once the doctor and nurse both leave, I turn to my friends. “Anyway, where’s Anna?”

Cathy speaks up. “She said she’ll be with us in spirit.”

“Hospitals freak her out,” Kat clarifies. I notice that her hands are more fidgety than usual.

“Kat. Sit,” I command. “Someone give Josie to Kat, she needs something to do with her hands.” Catherine picks my daughter up from the hospital cradle and sets her in Kat’s arms. 

“Jane, she’s so tiny!” Kat muses. Josie kicks her feet at the sound of Kat’s voice. 

“And now we know who kicked me every time you talked,” I chuckle. I look down to see that Edward is looking back up at me and gurgling happily. “Are you done already, little boy? Let’s get you burped and then you can go see Auntie Catherine, how does that sound?”

“Not Auntie Catherine, Jane,” Catherine sounds annoyed. 

“Why not?”

“Catherine is too much of a mouthful for a little kid.”

“Well, what would you rather be?”

“Auntie Lina sounds good to me.”

“Auntie Lina...Catherine, you don’t let anyone call you Lina.”

“I can make an exception.”

“Alright, Eddie, change of plans. Looks like your Auntie Lina is gonna hold you for a while.” Catherine sighs with relief. I prop Edward up against my shoulder and pat his back, trying to get him to burp.

“Jane, try to-” Cathy begins but is promptly interrupted by Catherine.

“Cathy, she’s gotta figure things out for herself. Back off just a tad, why don’t you? Poor Jane must feel like she’s being smothered.” She turns to me. “I can take him now, if you’d like to get some rest. I’m sure your parents will be here by tomorrow, and it’s getting to be pretty late.”

“Do my parents even know I’ve had the twins yet?”

“Yeah, Cathy called from your phone and told them,” Kat says.

“Good, good. Catherine, I think I’m gonna take you up on your offer and get at least a couple hours of sleep.” Catherine comes over and scoops Edward out of my arms, cuddling him close. The last thing I notice before I go to sleep is that across the room, Anne has fallen asleep in her wheelchair, which would explain why she’s been so quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one night? Yes. I’m home from vacation and hopefully will be posting regularly again. My sister broke a growth plate in her wrist today. That’s all I got. 🤷🏼♀️


End file.
